19 September 2026.
Mountains, Mountains, and More Mountains: That’s the theme for this year’s trip: all mountain locations for almost eight weeks.
We wrapped up two full weeks in Graubünden repeating favorites and researching new walks for our upcoming book, thoroughly enjoying a protracted summer season as it remained quite warm and sunny allowing us to find some great outings to share. There are a a lot of “paths to lunch” for the book because, if you know our style, we like nothing better than a good restaurant in the middle of a hike. Or at the start or end for that matter.
Our final day was Sunday and having a special Sunday lunch is also a thing for us when traveling, so a Path to Lunch on Sunday made a perfect final day in Pontresina. We walked through what in the U.S. we might call a wetlands preserve, where a few years ago the River Inn was revitalized and allowed to flow free without dams. It is an easy 40 minute walk to the excellent Restaurant Piste 21 where, thanks to the summery weather, we were able to dine outdoors on the terrace. We digested our leisurely lunch with a 40 minute walk back to the little town of Bever where we started. Delightful
From top left: The return path; Tagliata of beef, part of our lunch at Piste 21; Some people walk here, some drive, some arrive on horse. Horse parking in a shady grove by the restaurant; Mountains reflected in Lake Gravatscha and the Inn River Meadows
After 14 nights in Pontresina, sleeping at 5900 feet and walking routes at over 8000 feet, we moved on to Stoos, elevation 4300 feet, in the Canton of Schwyz. Not as well-known to non-Swiss people, Stoos is a tiny enclave for skiing and hiking enthusiasts. Stoos (pronounced Shtohs) is nestled on a sunny high plateau and is closed to regular vehicles; only a few farm and hotel vehicles were evident. It is invisible to the towns at the foot of the plateau along the Vierwaldstättersee (aka Lake Luzern) and is reachable only by two dramatic lifts: a small, older cable car coming up from the village of Morschach and the amazing Stoosbahnen funicular, advertised as the world’s steepest*, coming up from Schwyz. The Stoosbahnen cars are barrel-shaped and roll to keep passengers level on the steep trip up and down. We’ve never seen anything even close to it.
Left: Vierwaldsettersee (Lake Luzern) as viewed from Fronalpstock above Stoos; Right: The Stoosbahnen (photo by Schweizmobil). Click on the lake picture for a better view.
OK, enough train nerd stuff. Suffice it to say, if you are afraid of heights or funiculars or claustrophobically small cable cars, this may not be the place for you.
Stoos is surrounded by jagged peaks. They are not so high that they are snow covered year round, but the views from Fronalpstock – obtained by riding a two-stage chairlift – over the lake and countryside are terrific. This was a research trip in hopes of finding more easy-wanderings for our followers but there are not so many that fit our guidelines. Hikers with more stamina and better knees can hike up and on for many kilometers. It was worth a visit for the peace and quiet. There are not many towns that are truly this quiet. We can highly recommend the Wellness Hotel Stoos an eight-minute walk from the funicular in the quiet end of the town. We can think of few other places that were as quiet and one is in Switzerland, Bettmeralp.
View over Stoos while descending in a chairlift from Fronalpstock
Now we are in Engelberg, at 3300 feet in elevation, but still surrounded by fabulous peaks. Mount Titlis soars over the village at 10,623 feet, glacier, snowcap, and all. We are researching easy-hiker options here as well. I’ll report on this mountain village in my next post.
Until then, Tschüss!
*Although it was the steepest in 2017, it no longer holds that honor. The Stoosbahn has a maximum gradient of 110%, but the new Schilthorn Cable Car, which we will visit in the coming weeks, was completed in 2024 with a gradient of 128%!
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God’s amazing canvas. I like your way of thinking: hike to and from lunch! Your day looks supreme.
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We try to make each day a winner in some small way. Good weather helps!
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I love all the details about the trains. I don’t think of these as “train nerdy”, but more like exploring a whole new world. I find it all fascinating. I rode on the cog railway up to Jungfrau years ago, and it was quite memorable for this Los Angeles city girl, but it was NOT as amazing as the cars that rotate in order to keep you level. Wow. That is officially ON the list. Thank you for that.
And specific mountains seem to have taken on a kind of individual personality, I see now, and I wonder if that means that the people on one mountain have traditions that are slightly different from those on another mountain. Intriguing. I see that hunter gatherers settled in what is now Switzerland 150,000 years ago, so they have had plenty of time to develop local styles and traditions. Since that is quite a long time ago, clearly people really love living there.
Thank you for all the details, especially about the trains.
Gayle in VERY flat Beaverton, Oregon
(But we can SEE mountains from here. Alas, our trains could use an upgrade.)
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Oh that our lovely Cascade Mountains were as easy and civilized to visit! A train to Government Camp or Bend? Yes please!
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Laurel, it’s wonderful to read about your travels in one of my favourite countries in Europe, and as always the photos are beautiful. I was fascinated to read your comments on the Stoosbahn as I watched a documentary on how it was constructed. I’ll be interested to read your comments about the new Schilthornbahn. Swiss engineering is amazing!
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Hi Ken! We are looking forward to experiencing the new Schilthornbahn as well! It’s been two years since we were in the area and it will all be transformed now. Stay tuned!
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I’m so glad your weather is so agreeable! I can tell you’re enjoying your new explorations, and we delight in reading about them. Every trip should have some new locations to explore and some old favorites. Can’t wait to see what you do next! Grier
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Thanks, Grier! We are on to old favorites next week, but there are always new places to explore even in places we think we know well.
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Beautiful photos. Postcard perfect. Your descriptions make me feel like I’m right there. Enjoy. 💗
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Thank you! You’d love it here!
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